Politics & Government
Election 2012: 130,000 New Voters Register in Connecticut
Unaffiliated voters still make up the bulk of the electorate, but more Democrats than Republicans have registered to vote this year ahead of the presidential elections, according to Secretary of the State Denise Merrill.
More than 40,000 state residents have registered to vote in the last three weeks, and so far this year more Democrats than Republicans have registered, according to data from the Office of the Secretary of the State.
Tuesday's voter-registration report, the first since Sept. 25, also showed that a total of 130,000 new voters have registered so far this election year, including 45,625 new Democrats and 23,379 new Republicans.
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Unaffiliated voters made up the largest bloc, however, as 58,310 state residents opted to side with no official party, the latest numbers showed.
There are now more than 2 million registered voters in Connecticut, of which 842,335 — or 41 percent — are unaffiliated. Connecticut has leaned left over the past two decades, having voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1992.
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In a news release issued Tuesday, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill noted that voters who want to register by mail in time for the Nov. 6 election between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney must have their registration cards postmarked no later than Tuesday, Oct. 23.
The final deadline to register to vote in-person at town or city offices is Tuesday, Oct. 30.
“For all of the campaigning that has taken place in the last year, there remain just two weeks to register to vote in Connecticut before this crucial Presidential election, and I urge every eligible voter: don’t sit on the sidelines. Register now so your voice can be heard on November 6th,” Merrill said.
Here's the full listed of registered voters by party as of Oct. 16:
PARTY COUNT
A Better Future 6
A Connecticut Party 6
A Sentinel Party 26
Canterbury First 2
Chatham Party 9
Concerned Citizens 183
Connecticut For Lieberman 79
Democratic 744,729
Enfield Taxpayers Party 2
Friends Of Saybrook 13
Green 1,751
Guilty 1
Independence 826
Independence For Montville 7
Independent 12,042
Independent Choice 1
Independent Party of Darien 1
Libertarian 1,433
Milford Independent Party 3
Norwich for Change 1
Pro-Bethel 2
Realistic Balance 3
Reform 85
Republican 422,312
Swing 2
The Hampton Party 1
Unaffiliated 842,335
We The People 44
Winsted Independent 37
Working Families 195
===========
TOTAL 2,026,137
NEW VOTERS SINCE 1/1/12
PARTY COUNT
A Connecticut Party 1
Canterbury First 1
Chatham Party 1
Concerned Citizens 1
Connecticut For Lieberman 5
Democratic 45,625
Friends Of Saybrook 1
Green 148
Independence 65
Independent 2,759
Independent Choice 1
Independent Party of Darien 1
Libertarian 240
Reform 7
Republican 23,379
Swing 1
Unaffiliated 58,310
We The People 3
Winsted Independent 1
Working Families 36
===========
TOTAL 130,586
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